This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus concerning pet toys and training devices.
There are numerous pet toys in the prior art for the amusement, exercise, training and stimulation of the user. Unfortunately, the majority of them provide only a limited amount of sensory stimulation and therefore, the pet grows tired of the toy quickly and it loses its appeal. This problem was acknowledged and addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,671, in which Herrenbuck stated, xe2x80x9cThere are a number of amusement devices and toys in the prior art for entertaining and stimulating their users, often pets or children. Some toys are designed to stimulate the user, be that user a pet or a child, by emitting sounds. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,839 discloses an impact sensitive talking ball that emits a message when the ball is hit or bounced. Other toys are designed to dispense desired objects, such as pet treats. U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,571 provides an example of such a device. The device disclosed in that patent provides an inner housing that is movable within an outer housing. As the device is motioned by a pet, the device delivers treats placed in the inner housing through openings associated with the outer housing. These devices in the prior art, however, provide only limited stimulation. A device might provide an audio-based stimulation that is designed to engage a user""s attention. Another device may attract a user""s attention by delivering treats when the device is used. Such limited stimulation reduces the likelihood that a user, such as a pet, will be sufficiently interested in the toy to use it as intended.xe2x80x9d It is for this reason, as well as others which I will address later, that I agree with Herrenbuck that pet toys must utilize a multi-sensory approach if they are to maintain the pet""s interest for an extended period of time. Ideally, a toy should appeal to all five of the pet""s senses, the senses of hearing, seeing, smelling, feeling, and tasting. However, U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,671 has faults itself. For example, like U.S. Pat No. 6,158,391, another treat dispensing pet toy, the pet is limited in the way it can interact with the toy. Neither comprises a handle or rope by which the pet can manipulate or carry the toy from one place to another. Aside from dispensing treats, they virtually are of little use or serve little purpose to the pet because of this limitation. When the last treat has been dispensed, it is unlikely the toy will remain of interest to the pet much longer. In addition, the lack of a handle or rope limits the toy""s use as an interactive toy that can be used by the pet with its owner for play, training, or exercise. For example, if the owner wants to play tugging games with the pet, there is no place for either of them to latch or grab on to. Tugging games are a favorite among pets, especially dogs. They provide exercise, interaction with their owner, competition, and an opportunity for an owner to train a pet to release the item on which it is tugging with a command such as xe2x80x9creleasexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cleave itxe2x80x9d. Another example of this would be if the owner wanted to interact with the pet through playing or exercising his pet with a game of fetch, or to train the pet to retrieve the toy and return it to him. Unfortunately, as mentioned above, because there is no handle or rope by which the pet can easily move these toys, it would be difficult at best to use either of those toys for such purposes.
Providing treats to a pet for desired behavior during play or training is a powerful means of positive reinforcement. Ideally, a treat dispensing toy, when utilized for training purposes, would house the treats that could be removed easily and quickly by the owner and given to the pet as a reward immediately after the behavior is exhibited. It is well known that a positive reward must be given to a pet within a few seconds of performing a desired command or trick in order to perpetuate this behavior. A common means of storing treats is in a pants pocket so that they are close at hand and out of the pet""s reach. This method tends to be very messy because crumbs from the treats remain in the pocket. It is also difficult to remove the treats quickly from a pocket, especially if the owner is playing in a seated position. Although treat bags on the market, such as the xe2x80x9cTreat Totexe2x80x9d by Canine Hardware Inc. have tried to remedy this problem, they have not fully succeeded. This is because most treat bags must be connected to a belt. If the owner did not want to wear a belt or could not wear with the apparel he was wearing, for example, a pair of sweat pants or shorts, he would be prohibited from making proper use of this tote and would not receive the intended benefit of the product. This could also happen if the owner was wearing a piece of outerwear that covered the treat bag. It can also be a burden to carry around extra bags of this nature. U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,403 discloses a disposable treat pocket that secures to a person""s clothing by adhesive. However, even though this is an improvement over the above mentioned tote, it still requires an owner to bear an extra bag of sorts that can impede movement or be easily knocked off of the body, or the contents accidentally emptied out during play with the pet. Additionally, when a pet or group of pets, such as you would find at a dog park, smells treats from such a tote or pocket, they can pester the owner for treats and become fixated on the treat storage device instead of the toy, training device or the owner. Therefore, the most beneficial option for training is for the toy to actually serve as the treat container. Unfortunately, even if there was a limited way in which the treat dispensing ball toys disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,671 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,391 could be used for interactive play or training purposes, removal of the treats from within the toy by the owner is difficult at best because the treats within must pass through a plurality of barriers or housing in order to exit the toy.
Another key element to training a pet is the pet""s belief that a reward will be given. If the pet actually sees the reward, specifically a treat, he will be more likely to comply with a command given by the owner. Again, because of the plurality of barriers and housings that comprise the above referenced treat dispensing toys, the pet will not readily see the treats contained in them. U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,571 discloses a treat dispensing toy that addresses the need for pet and the pet owner to more easily see the contents. It is claimed that the inner housing of this pet toy is translucent or transparent. However, this toy again, like the prior art mentioned above, does not contain a rope or handle by which the pet can maneuver the toy. Also mentioned in that patent is a need for improved pet toys that do not require regular and constant actuation by, or the presence of, the pet owner, which toys are based on an efficient and simplified self-regulating mechanical delivery system. This brings us to U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,570, which discloses a retrievable animal toy which has a two-part body at least one part of which has at least one hollow portion for holding an item, an animal food item or items and which is not accessible by an animal until released therefrom. One embodiment has a transparent portion, or body so the animal can see the item within the toy. The problem with this toy is that it is designed to prevent the animal from having access to the food items until a person opens the body or releases the item from a holding device. Therefore, the toy can not be used as a treat dispensing toy without interaction from the owner. In addition, it too lacks a rope or handle by which the pet can maneuver the toy.
There are many treat-dispensing rubber chew toys on the market. U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,366 discloses a non-consumable animal toy comprising a three-dimensional body formed of substantially solid resilient material into which a small quantity of animal food or attractant can be placed and be accessible for consumption by the pet. While many of these chew toys are resilient and do not break easily, their usefulness as a treat dispensing toy is limited as they can only hold a small quantity of food, sometimes only one small biscuit. Once the pet has consumed this food item, the pet will loose interest in the toy. Also, it is possible for the pet to bite off a piece of the food item and the other portion can remain stuck in the toy. This can be very frustrating for the pet since it can be impossible for him to get the food out with his paws or mouth.
Aside from treat dispensing toys, rope tug toys are popular as well. They provide an excellent means of exercise and interaction between the pet and owner. U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,272 discloses one such toy. It is a therapeutic animal tug toy comprising a length of cotton rope which is woven so as to define a closed loop handle, a shaft portion extending from the loop handle and a pair of tail portions extending from the shaft portion. The tail portions each define a knot therein proximate their extended ends. However, the problem I see with this toy, as well as any other rope toy with loose tail threads, is that the threads easily become detached when the pet chews on them. This can lead to choking or digestive problems in the pet if he swallows too many of them. Additionally, rope toys such as this one offer very little sensory stimulation to the pet.
Chew toys offer therapeutic benefits to the oral health of dogs and satisfy their basic urge to chew. However, many chew toys, especially those of vinyl, are easily destroyed by pets since they are collapsible. Pieces can be bitten off and swallowed causing a safety hazard and rendering the toy useless. Many vinyl chew toys have painted surfaces for decoration. When used for fetching games within a home environment, the paint from the toy can mark walls and floors. This is another disadvantage.
The present invention in one or more embodiments provides a pet food dispensing apparatus comprising a container and a cord. The container may have a first opening through which the cord is inserted; and the container may have a chamber in which at least one item of food can be placed. The first opening of the container may be large enough to allow the at least one item of food to pass through the first opening while the cord is in the first opening of the container.
The container may include a first end, at which the first opening is located, and a second end at which a cap or cap portion is located. The cap portion can be removed to allow insertion of one or more items of food into the chamber of the container through a second opening of the container. The second opening may be larger than the first opening. The cord may be a rope. The cord may have a first end having a stopper, which is larger than the first opening and which prevents the cord from completely falling out of the container through the first opening. The stopper may be a knot in the cord. The cord may have a second end having a handle. The handle may be a loop.
The container may include a neck portion which may include a covering. The covering may be comprised of rubber and may be comprised of a plurality of protruding bumps.
The present invention in one or more embodiments may include a method comprising the steps of inserting a cord through a first opening of a container so that the cord lies partially in a chamber of the container, placing an item of food into the chamber of the container; and preventing the cord from coming completely out of the container.
Several objects of the present invention in one or more embodiments are as follows.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pet toy that utilizes a multi-sensory approach to keep the pet interested and motivated to use the toy. The pet toy provided may appeal to the pet""s senses of touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a safe and durable pet toy in which parts will not be easily removed or broken by the pet.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an interactive toy which can be used by the owners for playing with their pet for games such as xe2x80x9cfetchxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ctug-o-waexe2x80x9d.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a toy that the pet will be able to use without interaction from the owner.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an interactive toy which can be used as a training tool for commands such as xe2x80x9cfetchxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbring itxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9cleave itxe2x80x9d.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toy which involves positive reinforcement through the dispensing of treats, food items, or pet food from within the toy by the owner in a quick and easy manner.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a treat or pet food dispensing toy in which the pet actually sees the treats or pet food items.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toy from which the pet can obtain treats or pet food items independently.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toy with multiple functions such as training, chewing (cleaning teeth), tugging, pulling, and swinging.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toy which is non-staining to the environment such as walls and floors.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toy that can be manufactured in various sizes for use by various pet breeds, yet still maintain the same purpose and function regardless of size.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toy that does not have parts which can be easily removed by the pet and lead to choking or destruction of the toy.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toy that stores treats or pet food items instead of storing them in a pocket or treat or pet food item tote.
Further objects and advantages are to provide a lightweight toy without angles or sharp protrusions which can cause injury. In one or more embodiments, since the main plastic container is cylindrical, there are no angles or areas into which the pet can bite. This will preserve the structure and usefulness of the toy and also allow for better movement of the toy as the pet is playing with it. It also reduces the chance of injury to the pet, the owner, and others around the toy as it is being used. The toy can easily be cleaned through the opening in the base of the container. This will allow the owner to keep the toy sanitary.